


Regret

by alltimelilly



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU, F/M, Royalty AU, Stark!Reader, and talk of swords, psh what i did not base those names off dear evan hansen never, there is some swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 17:44:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11213037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alltimelilly/pseuds/alltimelilly
Summary: In an alternate universe lives King Tony, Queen Pepper, and Princess (Y/N) in the Kingdom of Avenge. In the same universe lives Queen May and Prince Peter in the Kingdom of Midtown. When the Queen and Prince of Midtown visit the Kingdom of Avenge, the prince and princess meet for the first time. A rollercoaster of emotions is to come after- from both of them, from the start, thinking they will never be friends. Only after figuring out they are not what they seem do they become closer. With the help of your lady in waiting, Zoe, and castle chef, Connor, does everything fall into place.





	Regret

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first full out AU. I wrote a soulmate thing once but damn I think I did it wrong, but ya know. I had so much fun with this and I think this is the most detail I’ve ever put into fanfic before, so, holy. This was also for an au challenge from @tatortot2701! (from tumblr) It was based off a prompt and I chose the prompt “You’re going to regret this.” So yeah, very long, which never! happens with me, so idk if this will ever happen again. But thank you, your au challenge has introduced me to the lovely world that is AUs! (there’s also a lot of time skips but whatevs) (anyone catch my steven universe references?)

The Kingdom of Avenge was never one to think they would be on the top of the food chain. But with the past rulers doing the right things, and the current leaders being loved by their citizens, it gained popularity. What started out as a small town and kingdom, became one of the biggest, most prosperous kingdoms in all of the marvelous land. In a far off land, but not too far from the other kingdoms, lived the royal family; The Starks. Their kingdom grew and grew, and drew in more money every day. Led by King Anthony Stark and Queen Pepper, with their daughter, you, the kingdom continued to live in prosperity. People and followers loved living there, happy they lived in the land of the Avenge Kingdom. The economy was better than any kingdom could dream of, and the crime was usually taken care of by the kingdom's most trusted guards. You and your family were living well.

You had servants and were raised to be the proper princess everyone expected you to be, thanks to your mother and father. You were awoken by your servant you had around nearly all the time, Zoe, and she helped you prepare for the day. You and Zoe are the same age, making it easy for the two of you to be close. She lays out your outfits, runs your baths, and helps you with anything you need help with. Lucky you both got along, or else you would be stuck talking to the chef all day, so at least Zoe was a friend your own age. Of course, you do love the chef, Connor. He's a little older than you and Zoe, but he's very likable and fun to talk to- so you don't mind staying in the kitchen with him and his staff.

You had to admit; you were very lucky with all the things you have. A wealthy kingdom, a happy family, servants who love their jobs, and citizens who do their work and love where they live. Your life is one of the easier ones when you attend your classes taught by private tutors, and listen to your mother and father whenever they speak. The entire kingdom knows that you will make for a great queen one day.

However, while you and your family live in prosperity, another kingdom not too far away is living in depression. Still friends and allies with the Avenge Kingdom, the Midtown Kingdom is falling. Recently led by King Richard Parker and Queen Mary Parker, along with their son Prince Peter, the king and queen were killed when their boat wrecked in the middle of the ocean. The throne was handed over to King Richard's brother, Ben, and his wife, May. Ben may have been the older one, but turned it down when initially offered as he felt Richard would make a great king- and he did. But Ben and May did not only get the throne and the kingdom to watch over, but they also had to raise and take care of Prince Peter. All seemed to be nearly the same when Ben and May became king and queen, and the kingdom still thrived.

But once King Ben was killed by thieves who saw him as a threat, Queen May was not able to rule alone anymore. The kingdom started to fall, and soon fell into a recession, only leading the kingdom into a deep depression. No matter what Queen May did, she was not able to save the kingdom or recover what they once had. She couldn't pass the throne to the prince, even if she wasn't fit to rule- he had no idea how to rule, himself! His parents believed in raising Peter like a normal child, like the ones in the village. Meaning he had no idea how to act like a proper prince, not to mention acting like a king. There was only one thing to do; ask for help.

"There is no shame in asking for help, Peter," May told her nephew as they rode in the carriage to get to their ally. "And do not forget, this kingdom has been an ally of ours since they both began, I am sure there is something we can do to get us back on our feet, and with their help, it will be easy."

"I have never doubted you, May," Peter reminded her. "Don't they have a daughter?"

May nodded with a small smile. "Yes, she's your age. But you two are complete opposites," She chuckled and covered her mouth slightly to cover it up.

Peter scrunched his eyebrows a bit. "What do you mean? She's a kid like me, right?"

"Not exactly," May said. "She was raised very different than you were. Your mother and father wanted a normal childhood for you, while she was raised like her parents were- royalty."

Peter nodded, trying to understand. "Elaborate a bit more; I'm not really understanding," He pressed on.

May sighed and looked out the window to see if she could see the kingdom, but then turned back to Peter. "She's always on time, she has true etiquette, she is dressed nicely almost always, and and to put it in one word: proper."

Peter laughed a little and looked out the window, seeing the Kingdom of Avenge come into view. "We are probably not going to get along."

The only people who call King Anthony, Anthony, is his wife and other kingdoms whom of which never met him. The citizens all see him as a friend, and address him as so. It's a special relationship that the royal family has with their people, one that helps them be so successful.

You sat in the large chair next to your parents as you waited for your guests to arrive. The door opened to the main room, and a big smile came across your father's face. "May, so good to see you!" He smiled when he saw the Queen of Midtown walked in. "And Peter! You've grown so big." He stood up and walked over to the guests, giving them both hugs.

"Tony, I'm so glad to see you," May sighed into the hug.

"How's Midtown?"

"Not good," May whispered.

Tony nodded. "Don't fret," He said. "(Y/N)," Tony called you over. "This is Prince Peter of Midtown. May here is his aunt, and the queen," Tony introduced the two of you.

"Pleasure to meet you," You smiled and bowed.

Your mother walked up behind you. "(Y/N), why don't you show Peter around the castle? It will give us some time to catch up with May."

You looked to Peter with a smile. "Of course, mother. Let me give you the tour, Peter," You extended your hand for him to take, and he did. You examined him as he walked with you, hoping he didn't see you looking at him. He wore a dark blue shirt with gold embellishments and white pants. His hair was combed but looked extremely messy. He also wore a belt that had a place for a sword, which was peaking out of the placeholder.

You walked around the corner with Peter following close by. "This is just a random hallway, nothing special. Lined with pictures of important people," You shrugged. "I don't even know who all of them are."

"I'm the same way with the random pictures in my castle," Peter chuckled.

"(Y/N)!" A voice behind the two of you yelled. You turned around quickly to be met by Zoe. "Who's this?"

You sucked in a deep breath. "This is Prince Peter of the Midtown Kingdom," You repeated. "Peter, this is my dearest friend and lady in waiting, Zoe."

"Pleasure to meet you, Lady Zoe," Peter kissed her hand lightly.

"And you, Prince Peter," Zoe curtsied to him. "Tour of the castle, (Y/N)?"

You nodded. "Yeah, would you like to join us, Zoe?" You smiled.

She shook her head and shrugged. "I've got some work to attend to right now, but if you're still touring later I'd be happy to join!" Zoe told you. "I'll see you around," She said and walked off.

Peter could already tell how different you two were. He noticed how you interacted with everyone, and even with your friends, you were acting like a princess. He was amazed at how you acted and wished he could impress people as you do. "Here, want to see my favorite part of the castle?" You asked and knocked on the door.

"Sure, what is it?" Peter asked.

"The kitchen," You smirked and opened the door, leading the curious boy into the best room in the entire kingdom. Smiling, you saw Connor cleaning up.

"Good morning, (Y/N)!" Connor smiled at you. "Need anything? Or did you just come to see me?"

You shrugged. "I'm always looking for food, but alas, I'm sure father will have you and your team cook something extravagant-"

"He's already mentioned it, I'm just cleaning and waiting for the entire staff to be here," Connor chuckled. "What can I do for you?"

You looked back, realizing Peter was still hiding by the doorframe. "Well, I wanted to introduce our guest to my second favorite person in the castle, right behind Zoe," You smirked and grabbed Peter's hand. "Peter, this is our master chef and a dear friend Connor. He's an amazing cook, and I think you'll like him. Connor, this is Prince Peter of Midtown."

Connor's eyes widened and stuck out his hand. "No way, I grew up in Midtown! You're the prince?"

Peter chuckled and shook his hand. "Yeah, I haven't really done much work with ruling, though," He said. "When did you move?"

"My parents got jobs in other lands a few years back, and I decided I would come here. It's in the middle of where both of them are," Connor explained. "And coincidentally, the king was looking for a new chef." Connor smiled as he was talking to Peter. You hoped they would get along, because who knows if you and Peter would actually make good friends. You already thought he hated you, judging on all the looks he gave you. From looking you up and down with questioning glances and not saying much, you were sure he didn't like you, since you two were so different.

And he was sure you hated him. He assumed you knew he was more careless and not a proper prince. Sure, he hadn't acted like that just yet, but he could tell you knew.

You looked between the two boys. "Okay!" You called attention back to yourself. "I have to meet with my tutor in a few minutes, and Connor knows how I hate to be late. I'll see you at lunch, Peter," You smiled and nodded, letting yourself out of the room.

Connor and Peter watched as you left. "So, how long are you here for?" Connor asked.

Peter shrugged. "I'm not completely sure. Right now, Midtown isn't in very good shape...so my aunt wanted to see if King Tony had any ideas on how to help. It may be a few days, or weeks. Anything is possible."

Connor nodded as he continued cleaning. "How did it go so downhill? My parents told stories of how the amazing Midtown Kingdom was."

"The change in rulers, probably. My parents died many years ago, and my aunt and uncle took over, and my uncle was killed a few years ago by thieves. Things haven't come so swimmingly to my aunt during her reign. She can't do it alone anymore," Peter said. "And I want to help, I really do! But I don't know the first thing about being a _proper prince_ , as (Y/N) would put it. I was raised like all the kids in town, not like a prince. I don't have any idea on how to rule...so it seemed coming here was our best option-" Peter stopped himself when he saw Connor's wide eyes.

"Sorry, I don't talk about my problems much and since I just started I couldn't stop. I apologize," Peter looked down.

Connor straightened up. "N-no, it's no problem," He said. "I just wasn't expecting it and it's interesting to hear stories of royalty that don't come from (Y/N)," Connor admitted and looked around when he heard loud rumbles. "Well, it looks like my team is here, I should get to work. Hope to talk more!" He smiled and went through the swinging doors. "We have guests, people, King Tony has requested out famous dish-" Peter stopped listening. He walked out the doors and started to take himself around the castle.

He ran into a few new people and introduced himself and didn't go into any closed doors, respecting what privacy there is in royalty. It would already be plastered all over the villages that the Queen and Prince of Midtown Kingdom were visiting the Avenge Kingdom.

He walked the empty halls and smiled when he saw an armored knight standing abandoned in the hallway. It was one of those statues that just stood there, no one inside, just a bunch of armor stuck together. "What are you looking at?" Peter smirked when he walked past the armor. "What, you challenge me to a duel? So be it!" Peter said a little louder and jumped back, pulling the sword out of his belt to aim it at the armor.

Peter hit the armor a few times with his sword, not hard enough to damage it. "Is that all you have? Come on, you beast!" Peter told the non-existent knight.

But alas, the fight ran short when you came strolling down the hall. "Peter? What are you doing? It's time for lunch, let me show you where we're going," You offered. "Why do you have your sword out?"

"Oh- oh, uh, I just thought I saw something!" Peter attempted to cover up his real reasoning and slipped the sword back into its holster. "Let's get to lunch, we can't be late!"

But little did Peter know, you had seen the whole encounter with the fake Knight. You thought it was hilarious, how he acted so childish. But it reminded you of being a child, and how you had to grow up so quickly. Peter was full of carelessness and childish actions, but you loved it. Sometimes, the world needs more people to stay kids instead of growing up quickly- you wish you were still like Peter, even if you are the same age.

"Ah, welcome, you two!" Your father called from the table. "Take a seat, Chef Connor and his team has prepared us the most delightful meal!" Tony boomed and gestured to the table and smiled as Connor walked around and placed dishes in each seat that would be taken. "Thank you, Connor, you make amazing food."

"Oh, you're very welcome, _your highness_ ," Connor nodded his head.

Tony rolled his eyes playfully. "How many times do I have to tell you, Connor? Everyone who knows me addresses me as Tony- that includes you. The only people who ever call me _your highness_ or _Anthony_ are people who I have not become close with, or Pepper. You do not fall into that category!" Tony laughed a bit at the end.

"Father," You called the attention to yourself. "He knows. He calls you Tony around me- I'm sure he just does it as a joke, and to annoy you. You're very easy to annoy, and it's a little funny to watch," You smiled at your father, and to Connor. "Connor, will you please tell him it's just a joke before he explodes?"

Connor laughed a little and set down the tray he held in his hand. "Yeah, _Tony_ , I'm just joking with you. As long as I've worked here you've reminded me what to call you. It's kind of like a game, now."

Tony chuckled. "You kids are going to drive me insane," He sighed. "It does look great, though, tell your staff you all did a tremendous job."

"As always," Your mother, Pepper, added on with a smile.

Queen May sat across from Pepper and Peter was next to May. You were next to Pepper, and across from Peter. Tony sat on the head of the table, as he is the king. "Now, I want all of us to forget all the hard times, and just have a few moments to have fun all together with this amazing lunch, sound good? Good," Tony said. "Let's eat."

\---

You couldn't sleep. Typically, sleeping was one of the easiest tasks you had to do. But with all the noise coming from outside your room in the late hours of the night, it was hard for you to fall asleep.

Finally, you decided to get up and either see what all the noise is, or get some water to help you. When you slowly opened your door and looked around, you saw a window being opened down the hallway. "Peter?" You whispered at the familiar silhouette.

He turned around abruptly. "Oh, (Y/N)! Uh, what are you doing up?" He scratched the back of his neck nervously.

You crossed your arms and chuckled. "Had trouble sleeping. What about you? What are you doing?" You raised your eyebrow.

Peter closed the window. "I was just...going for an adventure. I've gotten to see the castle, but not the land," Peter admitted.

"And you want to go....in the dark?"

"I love going out when stars are the only thing lighting the way," He awed. "Hey, if you don't mind, can you not tell May you saw me do this? She hates when I do..." He sighed and looked away.

"Sure, I won't tell anyone," You nodded. "But I'm coming with you."

Peter's eyes grew huge. "W-What?" He asked.

You shrugged. "I rarely get to go out to see the land my kingdom resides on- well, when I'm alone. I go out with my parents all the time. But I want to see it alone, or, well, with you."

"Are you sure?" Peter raised his eyebrow. "I don't know if it's the best idea...especially dressed like that," He gestured to your silk nightgown that your mother got you.

You chuckled and looked down at the white dress. "Give me one minute," You told him and walked to your room. Quickly finding something you never would be caught wearing while on duty, you slipped back out fully clothed to where it would be safe. "Let's go!"

"Are you sure you aren't going to regret this?" Peter assured before opening the window. "It could get dangerous."

You rolled your eyes and crossed your arms. "Dangerous? Our kingdom is one of the safest in the world. When there are thieves, they are taken care of easily by our guards. With a ring of a bell in the square, they'll be there to help." You promised. "I'm sure I won't regret this."

Peter sighed, he couldn't believe he was doing this. He knew he was going to sneak out- but to sneak the princess out? If the king and queen found out, he would be a dead man and there would be no hope of them helping the Midtown Kingdom. He knew he had to be extremely careful that nothing went wrong, but he was also having a hard time remembering that you're the princess. You were doing something that was the complete opposite definition of you. And he couldn't stop thinking about it. _She's acting so different, careless, rebellious, even. Why? Is it because of me? Or is the proper thing just a cover that she's actually like this all the time? Does she hate me, still? Do I hate her- no, no I don't. This is insane, Peter, what have you gotten yourself into?_

The two of you walked in silence as you left the palace gate and entered into the village. It was quiet, and a few torches were still lit to light the paths. The shops were closed and locked up, and all the houses lights were out. Peter would have been at complete ease and very content with the world if he were alone- but having you walking next to him only made him freak out. He didn't want to risk anything, he didn't want you to get hurt, or scared, or in trouble. He just wanted to explore with no faults, but with you by his side, he couldn't stop worrying.

You jumped when you heard the bushes rustle a bit. "Hey, don't be worried. I'm sure it's just a rabbit or something," Peter tried to comfort you, but by the look on your face, he could tell it wasn't working.

"You know," You started, looking around with big eyes, "I would be comforted by that answer, but...we don't have rabbits in this part of the land..." You whispered.

"She's right, this land is one of the strangest parts- no rabbits?" A deep, loud voice roared when the rustling stopped. "Oh, what a pretty necklace, give it here."

You and Peter looked at who was speaking to see two men towering over you. They were dressed in dark clothes and had masks on their faces. "What a joy, the princess?" The second spoke. "I didn't think the princess came out of the castle without her parents or guards!"

Peter pulled out his sword and pushed you behind him, trying to protect you. "Why don't you two take what you have, and get out of here before you have to deal with me?" Peter tried to negotiate, but it only made the thieves laugh a deep laugh.

"Oh, princess, you are going to regret coming out at night without your guards," The first thief boomed. He walked closer to you, and you were intimidated.

Peter didn't want to know what he was going to do, and acted quickly. "Hold this," Peter handed you his sword. You grabbed it before you even had time to process that he gave you it. Right after it was out of his hands, he cracked his knuckles, dropped to the ground, and kicked the first thief's legs, making him fall to the ground. He jumped on the man quickly and Peter started throwing punches, making the man groan after every hit.

"Who do you think you are?" The second thief yelled, kicking Peter off his friend. Peter's eyes widened when he saw the man had a sword out, and Peter quickly took his back from you. 

"Well, I think I'm the Prince of Midtown, and right now, I'm protecting the Princess of Avenge!" Peter said when the thief started to fight, not even getting close to Peter. Not because he was missing, but because Peter was good at sword fighting- Peter knew what he was doing. With a yawn, Peter did a move that didn't make sense in your mind and the thief's sword landed behind you. Peter smirked and held up his free hand in a fist. "Nighty night," Peter whispered and punched the thief square in the face, making him fall back on the other one. "All right, (Y/N), I'm going to go ring the bell, then we're going to get out of here," He told you. 

A few minutes passed and Peter came back after you heard the bell ring and you were sure you heard guards running. "I left a note for where they would be, we can get going back now," Peter told you and started to lead the way. "Are you okay?"

"How did you do that?" You asked, the first thing you had said since the fight.

Peter shrugged. "My best friends, Miles and Gwen, are knights- while May and Ben would rule and do royal things, they taught me how to fight. It's really not that hard once you get used to it," He nodded.

"You _have_  to teach me! I really should learn how to defend myself, as I won't have guards every second of the day. And you made it look so easy...it was impressive. Will you teach me?" You began to ramble as you two got closer to the castle.

Peter wasn't sure how to respond. _Was it a good idea? Probably not, no. Did he want to? Hell yes._  He would love to teach you to fight, it would be a good chance to get to know each other more and become closer, and maybe you two would eventually be friends. But, if the queen and king knew, what would they think? But, alas, it seemed that the good points outweighed the bad.

"Sure, but tomorrow. After we both get some sleep," Peter nodded and climbed through the window, helping you in once he was stable.

"Yay!" You cheered when you got back inside. Tomorrow was the day you had nothing planned: your day off from school, and even better, your father had canceled all your plans so that you could entertain the guest. At least, now, you have something to do.

And for a second, it occurred to you that maybe Peter didn't hate you.

\---

Things were interesting when the King and Queen were not in the castle. Tony and Pepper do not leave a lot, as they do a lot in the castle. But as they had May visiting, they decided to take a break from all the business and relax. By showing her around, it gave them time to catch up and see if any ideas came to them at random. 

Tony is very close with his people, and everyone knows that. So, after Connor and his team made breakfast, most of them were dismissed for the day. Connor was dismissed, as well, but declared if anyone wanted anything, he was happy to make it. Some had to stay and do their normal work, but they didn't mind- the people in the Avenge Kingdom love their jobs. 

Tony and Pepper's personal servants do a lot more than anyone would expect- so Tony rewarded them by allowing them to take the day off. As well as, with him and Pepper both gone, there were people who had nothing to do, so he dismissed them for the day as well. What was the point of them being at the castle and away from their families if there were nothing for them to do anyway?

Which is how you, Peter, Zoe, and Connor ended up being able to spend the whole day together. Zoe was an easy one to have nearby, as she is your lady in waiting, so she was able to be with you. But you got lucky that your parents left the castle and gave Connor the day off- which only convinced you that Peter teaching you to fight was meant to happen.

Zoe and Connor sat watching you and Peter interact. "See, we'll start with plastic swords...because I do not want you to get hurt. Because then I would get hurt because of your father, and we do not want that," Peter nodded, handing you a plastic sword.

"Someone remind me why we're doing this?" Connor asked.

Zoe chuckled. "Right, you missed the explanation. (Y/N) and Peter snuck out last night and Peter beat up thieves, so now (Y/N) wants to learn," Zoe told him. "Don't question it, she's stubborn."

Connor shrugged and the two of them sat back to watch. "So first, you want your stance to be like this, yeah, keep it wide, and body lowered," Peter positioned you to where it would be comfortable, and you remembered from last night that as soon as he had his sword in hand, he went into a specific stance when he fought. "Okay, so now we move like this," Peter directed you. "Forward, backward. Balance is the key, don't lose it," He said. "Move forward and backward slowly, right foot, then left foot."

Connor turned to Zoe. "I don't think I've ever seen (Y/N) in anything that isn't a gown," He confessed.

Zoe laughed a little as she watched you try to get the movements down. "It's hard when her mother's around, you know how strict she can be when it comes to (Y/N)," She started, "But since they're away for the day, she was able to break out one of the two outfits that aren't a dress," She smiled. And that outfit was the single pair of black leggings you owned for those days when you were sick in bed, and a top that had a mash of colors on it.

After a while, you finally got the steps down. It felt like a dance, and dancing is something you were good at, thanks to the balls that have been held in your castle. 

Peter started out with the basics of analyzing your enemy and what to do when anticipating a move. He started hitting your sword slowly and allowed you to hit his, getting a feel for what it would be like when you came in contact with another sword. This went on for a few minutes until Peter believed it would be best to move on. "See, if we keep at working like this, one day you'll be able to throw the sword out of your opponent's hand like you could do it in your sleep," Peter smiled.

"What do you mean?" You raised your eyebrow and continued hitting his fake sword.

All of the sudden, it seemed like Peter's sword circled around yours and it felt like you had lost control over the way your hand was moving. The plastic sword landed with a light thud in front of Zoe and Connor, making Zoe's jaw drop and Connor laugh. In one swift movement after the sword flew, Peter's hand grabbed your wrist and pulled you close to him. He gently bent your arm around your back and held the sword to touch your back. You were only inches away with an impressed smile on your face. "Do you always get this close to your opponent?" You whispered with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you regretting this yet?" He matched your raised eyebrow.

"Never."

"Oh my god," You heard Connor groan. "Just kiss already!" Following was a yelp from Connor, one that said Zoe hit him.

Peter let go of you. "Um, I think, maybe, uh, we should actually learn some moves, other than walking," Peter nodded. "Sound good?"

"Sounds great!" You responded. "Connor, Zoe, would you like to join us?"

Connor chuckled. "I should go make lunch, Zoe, would you like to come help?" Connor asked. Normally, he wouldn't ask her something like that, but it was obvious that she wanted to leave, so it was perfectly okay for him to ask. She agreed, and both of them left the room. "We'll bring lunch when it's done!" Connor said and shut the door quickly.

Peter taught you a few things about fighting with a sword. From guiding you and holding you in the right position, to letting you hold the real sword and feel the difference. It was all so interesting to you, and you were really happy that the two of you could do this together. It was almost clear to both of you that you don't hate each other, which put everyone at ease. At least it wouldn't be as awkward as it was before.

"What are you two doing?" Your mother's voice came through the room, loud and upset.

"Mother!" You jumped back. "I didn't know you were coming back so early."

Pepper shook her head. "We're still out, I just had to come back for something," She told you, shaking her head. "What are you doing?"

"Peter's just teaching me to sword fight, but don't worry, they're plastic!" You flicked the hard plastic, trying to prove your point.

Pepper shook her head. "What makes you behave like this, Prince Peter? You're acting like a child, act like a prince!" Pepper told him, ignoring what you said.

"I was raised like the children in the village. I was taught not to let go of my childhood, and I guess the fake swords are what I've held onto my childhood with," Peter shrugged, hoping he did not sound rude.

Pepper sighed. "That explains a lot. (Y/N), stop playing around and get out of those nasty clothes," She pointed towards you and you hurried outside. "I'll be speaking to your aunt."

Peter nodded, waiting for Pepper to walk out and close the door before groaning. "Tell me about it, (Y/N)'s family is a tough one to crack," Connor called from the now open door. "We ran into (Y/N) on the way back, so I thought to still bring you your food."

Peter took the plate and mumbled a quick _thank you_. "What am I doing wrong?"

"Honestly, nothing. Pepper just has different standards than your aunt does. Trust me, everyone has different standards than Pepper," Connor laughed and sat on the floor next to Peter, starting to eat his meal as well. 

\---

Peter was on his second day of avoiding you. He got you in trouble with his childish ways, he didn't need to mess up anymore. He walked into the kitchen in the afternoon, when he was sure you were meeting with your tutor so there was little chance he would run into you. "Hey, Peter, what's wrong?" Connor called as he washed dishes.

Peter shrugged. "I don't know, but I feel terrible for making (Y/N) get in trouble."

"She came by earlier asking if I had seen you- she's not mad," Connor tried to comfort, but nothing worked.

"Where are the glasses? I need some water," Peter said bluntly and watched Connor point to a cabinet. He rushed over to grab a random glass out. "Besides, even if she's not mad, I'm sure her mother doesn't really like me after seeing that I was trying to teach her to sword fight."

"With a plastic sword?" Connor chuckled. "Pepper may be strict, but I've known her for far too long to know she's got more things to worry about than (Y/N) playing musketeers for a day. At least you weren't using real swords when she walked in, because then, you would have been in trouble."

Peter groaned and sat on a stool. "I don't know. I probably should just stay away from her until May, Pepper, and Tony figure out if they have any ideas or not," Peter sighed. "I don't want to mess anything up."

Connor nodded, trying to understand Peter without making him angry. They talked for a few more minutes, about random things, and Connor tried to convince him to talk to you again. But after a while, Peter left. Saying goodbye to Connor, he walked out of the kitchen and saw May and Pepper come down the hallway.

He hid in one of the indents in the walls, trying to sneak past them so he wouldn't have any confrontation. But it seemed he had no chance, as both of them stopped walking and admired some of the art on the wall. "I'm just worried that our plans will not work, and I will have to pass down the crown to Peter. Don't get me wrong, I love Peter, and eventually, I think he would make a great king, but right now, I'm not so sure. He doesn't know much about ruling, and he's still living his childhood, I can't take that away from him," Peter heard the distress in May's voice, and he had the same worries as her.

"I don't know what to tell you, May, it's definitely something every royal has to work at. But I recommend working on his mannerisms first, that way he knows the correct way to act around people," Pepper suggested. "It's what started (Y/N) off into the fine young lady she is today.  If Peter works on his mannerisms, he'll be adapting to all the proper ways before you know it."

Peter saw the shadow of the two of them, and he saw May nod. "Thanks, Pepper. We'll talk about it once we get back to Midtown."

Peter stayed as still as he could when he saw Pepper and May walk by, and he bolted off in the other direction. Was May embarrassed by the way Peter acted? Peter knew he had to fix it, and when first thinking about it, he knew exactly where to go.  "(Y/N)!" He yelled once he got outside of your door.

You opened your bedroom door and jumped back when you saw Peter. "Oh, you're talking to me again?" You raised your eyebrow.

"Look, I'm sorry for avoiding you, I just didn't want to get you in trouble again!" Peter apologized quickly, and you nodded. "But I really need your help."

Your face turned to confusion when you realized that Peter was breathing heavy and his face was red. "What? Did you like...rip your pants or something?"

"What? No!" Peter defended. "I need you to teach me to be a proper prince."

You gasped, one of those gasps that if you were holding anything, you would have dropped it to the floor and it probably would have been broke. " _What?_ "

"You heard me. I need you to teach me the mannerisms of a proper prince."

"I'm not even going to ask where this is coming from because now I get to show you my expertise, manners!" You joked. It sounded crazy, and silly, but it was only half a joke. Of course, you knew more than just that, but Peter came to you for this help, and manners are always the best place to start when it comes to _properness_. You let Peter in your room and watched as he walked. "Or, we could start with the funnier part and work on your posture. God, it's horrible!" You laughed.

Peter shrugged, smiling at you and taking a seat on your bed. "Whatever you want, you know more than I do."

"Posture it is, then!" You squealed and ran around to grab the supplies you and Zoe used as a joke to make your posture better, and it actually kind of worked. Grabbing a stack of large books, you watched as Peter gave you a confused look.

"Books?" He raised his eyebrow.

You set down the books on your desk with a loud _thud!_  "Oh," You smirked. "You're going to regret this."

Peter waited for an explanation as he slowly began to wish he didn't ask you for help. But he did, and now he is stuck learning the fine mannerisms of a prince. "See, when Zoe and I were little-"

"You and Zoe grew up together?"

You chuckled a bit, seeing how off track he could be. "Yeah, her parents worked around the castle so my mother didn't mind her coming over every day, as long as we didn't get into any trouble. God, I don't know what I would do without her," You smiled a little. "But back to the point. When Zoe and I were little, my mother would teach us both how to act- proper manners, first. Back then, she wasn't so strict. So she would start a lesson off with a game, and when we learned about posture, she taught us with books. It was something Zoe and I continued to test ourselves with over many years- because we would always lose our balance or our posture would become worse, and the books would fall. And after a while, it really did become helpful!"

Peter raised his eyebrow, not sure he was seeing how something so silly became helpful. "I have watched Zoe carry buckets of water on her head when helping transport them around town. She used to help Connor a lot more than she does now, and would bring him the crates from outside by holding them on her head," You stated a-matter-of-factly.

"Fair enough," Peter said and stood up. "How do we start?"

You grabbed three large books and placed them on your head and walked around the room. "I haven't practiced this in a few months, Zoe and I have been too busy to play the game, so if I go slow, think nothing of it. But you will start off slow, and with only one book," You told him and walked at a normal pace without the books even moving an inch. Peter's jaw dropped as you grabbed another off the table and set it on Peter's head. "Stand up straight and balance the book in the middle of your head- then, let go, and start walking. Don't tilt, look straight forward, and don't slouch."

Peter nodded and moved the book around a bit until it felt safe, and he slowly let go. He looked forward and you smiled. "Okay, now start to walk towards me, slowly. Don't let the book fall!" You reminded him.

Taking a deep breath, but not deep enough to move his head, his right foot moved forward. He took two steps and smiled, he wasn't losing his balance! He took a third step, and the book fell. Not only did it fall, it fell right onto his foot.

"Yow!" Peter jumped back, grabbing at his foot. 

You laughed a bit, but tried to hide it. "This might take a while."

The next few days you two worked on many different things. You and Zoe worked with the posture fixing, and she was so excited to get back to the old game. You also worked on proper manners when at the dinner table, how to be when meeting new people, and how to act towards people who work for you. Peter was _much_  better at learning the manners that didn't involve books, but you weren't going to give up on it that easily.

"Think about it like when you're sword fighting," You told him after he was extremely frustrated. He could take five steps slowly, then the book would fall. Or three fast steps- but he never got past anything else.

"I don't know how you can compare posture with books to sword fighting," He mumbled, falling into a chair.

You sat next to him and took the books off your head. "Well, when you were teaching me the right stance for fighting, there was a right way to do it. Stance wide and body lowered. Then, right foot left foot- and put your whole body into it," You reminded him, and he nodded slowly. "It's almost the same thing, but the stance is not wide, it's shoulder length apart. And instead of a low body, it's tall. I noticed when fighting, you keep your back straight. Just pretend your sword fighting, but with a different stance. Like one of the armored knights I saw you fighting!" You added.

"You saw that?" Peter's jaw dropped, embarrassed that someone had seen his silly little game.

"Not the point," You told him. "Stand up and stand like I just told you," You directed, and Peter listened. You handed him the book and he balanced it on his head. "Okay, right foot, left foot. Balance is the key," You quoted him with a smile. "Just keep walking," You said, quieter, and put the books back on your head.

The book fell off of Peter's head and he groaned. Trying to keep him from screaming, you had another idea. "Okay, change of plans, get into your fighting stance," You told him. Peter raised his eyebrows, but pulled out his sword and got into position. "Okay, now bring your foot from back here next to the one up here," You pointed, and he listened. "Now, instead of body low, stand tall."

Peter nodded and did as told. "Okay," You walked behind him and grabbed the book, setting it on his head. "Walk."

You had never seen someone so happy about walking from one end of the room to another.

\---

"He's definitely changed. I wonder what happened?" May commented to Tony and Pepper after noticing Peter's change in behavior. "His posture is so much better, and his manners are something I have never seen from him."

"He's impressing me. I wonder what clicked," Pepper added.

A laugh boomed from Tony as he watched the women talk. "You two seriously have no idea what's been going on?" He asked and both Pepper and May shook their heads. "(Y/N) has been teaching Peter the ways of mannerisms, I caught them, Zoe, and Connor walking around with books on their heads last week," Tony said. "Oh, and for payment of (Y/N)'s services, Peter has been teaching (Y/N) how to fight with a sword. He looks like a damn musketeer with a sword- May, where did he learn to fight?"

"Oh, his friends are knights-"

"She's been fighting? With swords?" Pepper about had a heart attack at this news. She thought she had made her stance on sword fighting perfectly clear by what she told both you and Peter a while back.

Tony shrugged. "Oh, yeah, and (Y/N) has gotten really good at it. Like I said, Peter is like a musketeer. So when I saw them practicing in a random, empty room, I took them to the old storage unit outside when we had all those musketeers working out there. A bunch of worn out suits were out there, and there were a girl and a boy outfit, so I gave each of them one. They were ecstatic, and Pepper, you should really see them go!" Tony babbled on about how amazing you and Peter have gotten at fighting. "We'll have to have them enter the games one time-"

"That will not be happening," Pepper declared. "Never."

"Oh, come on, Pep, have a little fun! You used to be pretty good at sword fighting, if I do remember correctly," Tony smirked.

May let out a small laugh. "Pepper, you? You fought?"

"We don't talk about it anymore," Pepper huffed and stood up to walk off. "So don't mention it."

Tony sighed as Pepper left the room. "She used to be so much calmer than she is now- and that was because she had the relief of sword fighting. But all of the sudden, she just stopped. She hasn't picked up a sword since, and got insanely strict when it came to raising (Y/N) and ruling the kingdom," Tony said. "But enough relaxing, we need to discuss Midtown."

"I'm so sorry I've wasted so much of your time," May apologized.

"Don't be silly, I wanted to help you! And we will!" Tony declared. "I know Midtown is falling, but I think we can arrange a loan, possibly, and you can use the money to build back up, and pay us back when everything is stable again- or even back in prosperity! You just need a little help- hire a duke to help set things right, or more people to work with the castle and your people. You will not fall, May, I won't allow it," Tony hummed, grabbing her hand and holding it, promising her that everything would be okay.

The door was thrown open, scaring both Tony and May to jump back. "Zoe!" Connor came running through the large room. "It happened! It finally happened!" Connor ran around- stopping once he saw the two. "Oh, sorry, King Tony and Queen May. Have you seen Zoe?"

Tony laughed. "Last I saw she was folding towels over- wait, what finally happened?" He raised his eyebrow.

"Connor, don't you dare!" You ran into the large room. "Don't tell Zoe, she'll just tease and tease and I will never hear the end of it!" Peter appeared behind you. "And you know she has a big mouth! She'll tell everyone in the land!"

"Good!" Connor yelled back, throwing open the main doors. "Zoe!"

Tony turned to May with an amused smile. "I should have known it involved my daughter."

"Zoe, there you are!" Connor yelled. "It finally happened!"

Zoe almost dropped what she was carrying, but had the basket of towels balanced on her head. "Oh, so she does do that," Peter mumbled, impressed.

"What happened?" Zoe yelled in surprise.

"I will tackle you, Connor! You don't know what I can do!" You shouted, getting closer to him.

Connor ignored you and held his hand out to keep you back, pushing on your forehead at the right angle to make it hard for you to move. "I caught (Y/N) and Peter kissing!"

And at the exact same time, Zoe, Tony, and May gasped.

\---

May paced around the ballroom, simultaneously admiring the decoration, and freaking out. 

"En guard!" You yelled, backing into the ballroom and sword fighting with Peter- wearing the blue musketeer outfits your father gave you two. "You'll never defeat me!"

"Oh yeah?" Peter taunted. "In your dreams!" He called, then noticed the sad figure behind you. "May?"

May turned suddenly and forced a fake smile on her face once she saw the two of you. She knew you two had gotten much, much closer, but she wasn't aware of your status together. She knew about the kisses, but had either of you actually made a move to ask the other one out? "Hello Peter, (Y/N)," She greeted. "What are you up to?"

"Fighting," You shrugged with your sword in hand, with a voice like it was obvious.

Peter walked closer to May and handed you his other sword. "May, you look troubled. What's wrong?" He asked, and May opened her mouth but was cut off by Peter. "And don't tell me _nothing_ , I know when something is wrong."

May sighed and ultimately took a deep breath. "Tony and I have been working for a while to try and save our kingdom. We had ideas of loans of money to hire people to help, but no one wants to, or does not think it will work, and I can't rule by myself anymore," May admitted, looking at the floor and her eyes not moving.

"What if the kingdoms joined together, or something? I mean, you're friends with everyone here, wouldn't it just be a plus? More land, and more friends?" Peter offered, not sure what she would say.

May shook her head. "Unfortunately, none of us can come up with a way to do that. It seems it would only result in worse conditions," May looked away, ashamed that she was not able to find anything.

"Well," Peter said and May looked up at him. He looked back at you to see your encouraging smile, him mouth something, and you nod, then turn back to May. "What if (Y/N) and I get married?"

" _What!?_ " May asked, shocked by the statement and unsure if she heard correctly.

"Yeah! (Y/N) and I could get married. Then, we could join the kingdoms together, and we wouldn't have to leave, and Midtown would not go to ruins! It's a win-win. Plus, we've gotten super close recently, as I'm sure you've spectated," Peter talked so fast that May only understood a third of it and still was trying to process his first sentence.

May took a deep breath. "You...and (Y/N)...get married?" She asked, looking between both of you.

"I'm down," You shrugged, holding up your hand for a high-five, and Peter slapped your hand. 

"Are you sure you kids wouldn't regret this?" May said, quieter than she meant to.

Peter looked back at you, and you both spoke at the same time. "Nope."

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed, check out more on my tumblr blog, [That-Sokovian-Bastard!](http://that-sokovian-bastard.tumblr.com/)


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